Raw elements that are widely used in ferrous and nickel based alloys, such as Fe, Ni, Cr, etc. are typically refined using an aluminothermic reaction, where aluminum is used as a reducing agent at high temperature. For example, during the aluminothermic reaction, aluminum reacts with iron oxide to form aluminum oxide and iron. Consequently, aluminum is a fairly common impurity in such elements, as well as in ferrous- and nickel-based alloys that contain such elements. Typically, the aluminum impurities can combine with oxygen as well as other impurities to form alumina-based inclusions that can have adverse effects on the properties of metal alloys.
Among the mechanical properties, the property most severely affected is toughness. In the specific case where the metal alloy is a glass former, the glass-forming ability of the alloy could also be severely degraded by the presence of such alumina-based inclusions. It would be of great technological interest to develop processes capable of reducing aluminum from these alloys to reverse its adverse effects and obtain similar properties as in the “high purity state” of the alloys.